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BlackOps: AWARD & Intel X38/X48 POST Code/Debug LED Guide

Award & Intel Debug Codes:

The most common Debug codes, what they mean, and how to work with them.
This Guide is intended for the Foxconn Blackops board, but the codes should be identical or very similar on all Mainboards with Award BIOSes.
If your problem isnt described in this list or the tips listed here dont help you, send a private message to me, or contact the Foxconn tech support. Before you do so, please search the foxconn section here on xs to see if anybody else has the same or a similar problem and post in that topic/thread or open your own topic/thread.

no LED all fans spinning
If the Board powers on with all fans spinning and all LEDs running but the DEBUG display doesnt display any POST codes and nothing else happens, then the PWM probably cant get enough juice. Check if the 8Pin 12V plug and the 24Pin ATX PSU power plugs are plugged in properly, make sure they dont bend too much or haven a lose cable. Check another PSU if possible. If nothing helps, power off the mainboard, remove both BIOS chips and wait a few minutes, then put them back in and power the mainboard on again. Make sure the BIOS chips are seated the right way around, the marks on the chips should face downwards.

FF then reboot
If the Motherboards powers on, displays FF for a couple of seconds with all fans spinning and the LEDs working and then restarts, the Motherboard is trying to detect the BIOS and read from it. This sometimes happens randomly when overclocking the mainboard, but if it happens several times in a row make sure the BIOS chips are seated properly and the right way around, the mark on the BIOS chip needs to face downwards. Another possible problem is that the BIOS is messed up as a result of a too high overclock or a bad BIOS flash. Power off the mainboard, remove both BIOS chips and wait a few minutes, then put them back in and power the mainboard on again. Switch the BIOS chips around or change the BIOS select jumpers to boot from the other BIOS chip in case the initial one is corrupted.
Note that the FF code is also used by the memory configuration and testing procedure, check the POST Code description for A0 and following for details

FF hangs with all fans spinning
If the Board powers on with all fans spinning and all LEDs running and the DEBUG Display hangs at FF, then the board is either working fine but you cant see it, or the boards BIOS is messed up. First hit the Num Lock and CAPSLOCK keys on your keyboard and check if the respective LEDs on your Keyboard turn on and off when hitting them.
Note that the FF code is also used by the memory configuration and testing procedure, check the POST Code description for A0 and following for details

A) If they do, then the System is working but you cant see anything on the display for some reason. Check if there is something wrong with the Videocard, the PCIE slot or BUS, the Monitor or monitor cable. Turn the Monitor on and off, switch the Monitor cable from one D-SUB or DVI plug to the other in case your Videocard has two. If this doesnt help then reboot and load the optimized defaults. If that doesnt help either try another Videocard if possible, or try the Videocard in another system to make sure its working properly. Try another monitor or try the Monitor on another System.

B) If they dont, then the System is stuck at the very early initializaton phase. This could mean that the BIOS is messed up or there is something wrong with the Mainboard or CPU. Turn off the board, remove both BIOS chips for a few minutes, then put them back and power the board on again. Switch the BIOS chips around or change the BIOS select jumpers to boot from the other BIOS chip in case the initial one is corrupted. If this doesnt help either contact me or Lardarse of the Foxconn tech support.
If this didnt help then make sure the CPU isnt missing , is seated properly and not damaged. Check the CPU in another board or check another CPU in this board to make sure the CPU is fine. Check if the cpu is seated properly and the pads and pins are clean and make good contact with each other, and make sure the socket is fastened well and the heatsink is seated properly.

FF with beeping
If the Mainboard powers on with all fans spinning and all LEDs running, but the Debug LED shows FF and you hear some beep codes, check if there is something wrong with the Videocard, the PCIE slot or BUS, the Monitor or monitor cable. Turn the Monitor on and off, switch the Monitor cable from one D-SUB or DVI plug to the other in case your Videocard has two. If this doesnt help then reboot and load the optimized defaults. If that doesnt help either try another Videocard if possible, or try the Videocard in another system to make sure its working properly. Try another monitor or try the Monitor on another System.
Note that the FF code is also used by the memory configuration and testing procedure, check the POST Code description for A0 and following for details

2b
When the system powers on and the Debug LED shows the usual POST code sequence but hangs on 2b or you get a beep code as soon as the sequence reaches 2b, then the Mainboard cant detect your Videocard properly. Note that the POST code sequence might not halt at 2b but continue, so the final POST Code it displays could be FF, 1E or 7F which means the Maiboard booted, entered BIOS, or OC recovery kicked in and is waiting for Input to enter BIOS. Since the Videocard couldnt be detected properly you will only see a black Monitor and either 2b, FF, 1E or 7F. Check if there is something wrong with the Videocard, the PCIE slot or BUS, the Monitor or monitor cable. Turn the Monitor on and off, switch the Monitor cable from one D-SUB or DVI plug to the other in case your Videocard has two. If this doesnt help then reboot and load the optimized defaults. If that doesnt help either try another Videocard if possible, or try the Videocard in another system to make sure its working properly. Try another monitor or try the Monitor on another System.

7F
When the system detects that a critical error happened during the last boot attempt or several boot attempts failed, so OC recovery kicked in. There should be a message displayed on the Display informing you that OC revocery kicked in and that its waiting for your input to enter BIOS. If you cant see this message cause your Display stays black, please check the description for POST Code 2b.

1E
Your in the BIOS right now, if you cant see the BIOS cause your Display stays black, please check the description for POST Code 2b.

E0
When you get this error message the Mainboard cant detect the memory SPD, the memory itselft, or there was some problem while reading from the SPD. Shut down the Mainboard and make sure the memory is seated properly. Load the optimized defaults, if this doesnt help then try one stick of memory in slot1 or slot2, if possible update the BIOS, try another SPD on your memory, try another set of memory or try this set of memory in another system.

E1
Virtually the same as E0, check E0 for a description.

C1
If the Mainboard hangs during this bootup phase then its most likely a memory related problem. Please check the settings your tried and load the optimized defaults. Check if the set of memory has been tested by us or any other user, search for topics/threads in the foxconn section about this set of memory to see how other users are configuring it. During this phase of bootup the Level 2 cache is detected as well, if the CPU is overclocked or damaged or misconfigured it might trigger this POST Code as well. If the problem doesnt seem to be memory related for you, then search for topics/threads from other users who are using the same CPU and check how they are configuring it. If possible check another CPU in this Mainboard or check the same CPU in another Mainboard to make sure its running fine.

A0 and anything from 03 until 91
If you get any of the above POST codes it means the initial memory configuration and testing procedure failed. Check if the set of memory has been tested by us or any other user, search for topics/threads in the foxconn section about this set of memory to see how other users are configuring it. Check the detailled POST Code list below for more details on he memory configuration and testing proecures POST Code sequence.

54 with beeping
This POST Code is a part of the above initial memory configuration and testing Codes, but If the Debug LEDs display 54 with a lot of beeping, it might be something else. When you apply new settings in BIOS and hit save and exit you might get this error. It doesnt NECESSARILY mean that the settings you tried to apply dont work. Keep the power button pressed for 4 seconds to shut the board down - wait 10 seconds - then power the board on again. OC revocery will kick in, enter BIOS but just hit "save and exit" and see if the settings work now. If you get error 54 with beeps again the settings your trying wont work, most likely cause the memory cant take it. Check if the set of memory has been tested by us or any other user, search for topics/threads in the foxconn section about this set of memory to see how other users are configuring it.

A1
If you get the above POST code it means the initial memory configuration and testing procedure passed, but there was a problem when setting up the clockgen and the system clocks. Check your system settings, load the optimized defaults, if these tips dont help search the foxconn support section for topics/threads about the same or similar hardware you are using.

C5
When your system hangs and the Debug LEDs show C5 your memory or the chipset is most likely not stable at this setting.Check if the set of memory has been tested by us or any other user, search for topics/threads in the foxconn section about this set of memory to see how other users are configuring it.

80
80 or FF are the codes the board shows under normal operation.

Detailled list of Award BIOS Port80 and Intel X38/X48 POST Codes:
These POST Codes are generated by the Award BIOS Kernel Core using the Port80 feedback from the CPU.
Note that some of the Intel Chipset memory configuration and testing procedure Codes (BLUE) are identical to some of the Award POST Codes. The BIOS cannot translate those Codes and just forwards them, but from the context it should be clear what a Code means even if there are two possible interpretations.

I'm getting a post code of "A0" when i bootup but nothing happens seems to just hang screen is black..

Any ideas?

cheers

most likely mem cant take it (need more vdimm or lax timings), or memory controller cant take it (too hot, needs more nb volts or vdimm) or fsb isnt stable (need more vtt, nb volts, cooler nb, more vcore, higher PL aka TRD)

but most lilely its mem

Originally Posted by komseh

What the heck does 3A mean? I'm getting this code with a frozen POST screen when I try to enter the BIOS. When I do nothing during boot I get a frozen POST screen with a 60 code.

hmmm never seen that before... so when you hit DEL you get 3A and a freeze and if you dont then it freezes at 60? id suspect that either the bios is corrupt, the mem is unstable, there is something wrong with the keyboard or some other usb or maybe a ps2 mouse? or the cpu is unstable... could be the vga as well... hard to tell since 3A is not documented by award/phoenix and 60 is not really telling us anything... it means the board is about to enter bios...

Before 96 error code, my system is running well since the 1st day I bought that mobo.

hmmm sounds like the BIOS flash went wrong...
can the board boot now? can you switch to a second BIOS chip or does that board only have one?
if it only has one, then... you will have to contact dfi or the shop to get a new bios chip somehow...

The intel POST error codes list here: http://www.uxd.com/intel-x4x-chipset.shtml has this listing under the section heading 'boot device selection'< this does not make sense from increasing fsb
Dy Trying boot selection y (y=0 to 15)

pushing 590fsb on the Blackops with E8600, been getting it since 580fsb. cant seem to shake it at 595fsb. happens even on 6 multi. all voltages are up high
cpu ~1.36v air cooled.
pll 1.66V
vtt 1.5V
gtl -2, -2, -2, -2
nb 1.67V water cooled
nb gtl +2
sb 1.650